The team at Carrington West are delighted to have been short listed for an IRP Award. Operated by the recruitment industry’s governing body the REC, the IRP awards are the UK’s most prestigious and widely recognised. Carrington West have been short listed in the “Best Company to Work For” category which acknowledges the organisation’s vision and values, people development, community engagement, employee benefits, employee satisfaction and ethical people management.

The management team and staff alike have long known this to be a great place to work and now this has been recognised nationally, this as a huge achievement, and one for which we are very proud. The awards take place in December 2015. Our most important asset is our staff and we are constantly looking for our next star. If you have a proven background in the recruitment industry and are keen to know more about a career at Carrington West, please call 02392 704037 or visit our “Work for Us” page Carringtonwest.com/Work-for-us

A wealthy student has been banned from driving after he was caught undertaking at 150mph on the M25 in an ultra-rare Ferrari.

Police struggled to keep up with Ali Kzar, 25, after he took his £150,000 Ferrari California for a spin on the motorway, near Surrey.

He was spotted performing a ‘dangerous undertaking manoeuvre’ and police only managed to catch up and stop business management student Kzar when traffic forced him to slow down

He was arrested after being hauled over on the M25 in Surrey and later interviewed where he admitted to driving the car.

Kzar lives in a £1million apartment in Marylebone and attends Regents University, one of just two private universities in Britain, charging students £15,000 per year.

The court heard that first year student Kzar, who has no capital wealth of his own and is given a monthly allowance of £1,500 after rent by his family, now ‘relies on Uber’ to get around.

Kzar, who regularly posts pictures of himself on social media posing with expensive jewellery and smoking cigars, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Redhill Magistrates’ Court on Friday, following the incident in March.

Darren Matravers, prosecuting, said: ‘Mr Kzar stated he didn’t know how fast he was driving but as the officer stated, he was doing over 150 mph, so he probably did.

‘When asked if his driving was dangerous, he said he had no opinion on that.’

Mitigating, Fadi Daoud said that Kzar was spooked by the officer and did not realise it was a police car.

Mr Daoud added that Kzar’s father was a well-known businessman in Iraq that was why Kzar was targeted for driving the Ferrari – the only one of its kind in the UK.

Mr Daoud said: ‘He has been targeted. He received threats. He was told he was being followed.

‘There’s only one white Ferrari California in the UK and the threat was that if you’re not respectful there will be consequences.’

He added: ‘That car is no more, he has not driven it since that time and he has avoided anything that will bring attention to him, I think he relies on Uber now.’

Head magistrate Michael Staples said: ‘Mr Kzar, you’re young which is in your favour in this instance.

‘You’ve got no previous record but your driving was extremely dangerous.

‘The simple lane change in front of you might have resulted in the death of not only other people but yourself.’

Kzar was given a four month sentence, suspended for 18 months and 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also disqualified from driving in the UK for two years and been electronically tagged. Kzar has a home curfew from 7pm until 7am for four months. He was fined £165.

The state of Britain’s local roads is the number one gripe among drivers, according to a survey.

One in 10 motorists said the condition of local roads was their top concern, while a further 20% listed it as one of their four main issues.

The RAC said the figures show that councils should be under the same legal obligation to maintain roads as they are to provide minimum standards for education and social services.

The Local Government Association (LGA) insisted that current funding levels mean councils cannot afford to carry out long-term improvements on roads.

Half of the 1,500 motorists polled believe the quality of roads in their area has deteriorated in the past 12 months with just 10% claiming it has improved. The remainder reported no change.

The study was commissioned for the RAC’s 2015 Report on Motoring.

Among the 50% who believe the roads in their area are getting worse, the vast majority (99%) attribute this to potholes and general damage to the road surface.

Litter is a source of annoyance for a quarter of people (24%), while poor maintenance of verges annoys one in five (21%).

RAC chief engineer David Bizley urged councils to spend more of their funds on repairing and replacing road surfaces.

“They are under specific legal obligation to provide minimum standards in education and social services whereas their obligations to maintain roads are far less prescriptive,” he said.

“It is therefore inevitable that expenditure is biased against investment in the likes of road maintenance where prescriptive legal obligations do not exist and councillors therefore do not face legal sanctions.”

Mr Bizley warned there is a “damaging disconnection” between what a “large proportion” of council tax payers want local government to spend their money on and where it actually goes.

But councillor Peter Box, transport spokesman for the LGA, said councils have to prioritise their expenditure.

“While councils share the frustration of motorists at the state of our roads, it is impossible to compare repairing potholes with keeping children safe and caring for our elderly,” he said.

“With demand on these life and death services continuing to rise and funding from central government continuing to reduce, councils have little choice but to squeeze budgets for other services, such as maintaining our roads.”

He added: “Current funding levels mean councils are only able to keep pace with patching up our roads and filling potholes rather than carrying out more cost-effective and long-term improvements.”

Michael Dugher, Labour’s shadow transport secretary, said: “Ministers are just not listening to motorists’ concerns. They promised they would fix our local roads and the pothole crisis, but it was just all talk.

“Road users have understandably had enough of their failure and broken promises.”

But the Department for Transport (DfT) insisted that it was “playing our part”.

A DfT spokesman said: “A well maintained local road network is essential for all road users.

“We are playing our part by providing nearly £6 billion to councils in England to maintain local roads over the next six years. This funding includes incentives so councils plan ahead and repair roads properly so potholes never form in the first place.”

https://www.carringtonwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Kotwicki-pothole-fun-main-art-1024x912.jpg9121024jamesfernandeshttp://www.carringtonwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/carrington-blue.pngjamesfernandes2015-09-09 15:56:592015-09-09 15:56:59Potholes and poor surfaces top gripe for drivers on local roads

SOUTHERN Water has received a ten-year loan of £100 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The money will be used to improve the water supply and wastewater treatment in the region.
Southern Water said the investment would ensure a reliable constant supply of high quality drinking water, effective treatment of wastewater, and improved quality of bathing water along the south coast.
The loan was announced during a visit to the Peacehaven Wastewater Treatment Works on Wednesday.

Jonathan Taylor, vice president of the European Investment Bank and Matthew Wright, chief executive officer of Southern Water were at the recently completed £300 million facility which treats 95 million litres of wastewater a day from Brighton and Hove.

The water company has 4.6 million customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and is headquartered in Falmer.

It pledged to invest £1.5 billion in looking after the environment, maintaining and improving the water supply and wastewater treatment works, and expanding and maintaining its network of water mains and sewers in its 2015-2020 business plan.

Mr Wright said: “The European Investment Bank is an important provider of the finance we need for the successful delivery of our plan.”

Mr Taylor said: “Long-term investment in water infrastructure is crucial to ensure a secure supply of safe drinking water and effective treatment of wastewater for years to come.

“The impressive scheme at Peacehaven sets a benchmark for water treatment across Europe and shows how challenges can be successfully tackled.”

Proceeds of the loan will include supporting the £63 million redevelopment of the wastewater treatment works at Woolston in Southampton, which will ensure improvement in treated wastewater meets new standards set by the Environment Agency.

Last year the European Investment Bank provided a record GBP 6 billion for long-term investment in key infrastructure across the UK, including support for new hospitals, better water and sewerage infrastructure, renewable energy and energy transmission and private sector investment.

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New road markings on the A38 near Plymouth, where there have been a number of accidents in recent weeks, must have been designed by “someone who had been drinking”, a councillor has said.

Following warnings by Plymouth police officers regarding the new layout at Carkeel roundabout Saltash Cllr John Brady has said the new designs are “the most confusing I have ever seen”.

The markings were unveiled last month in a bid to provide better access and improved journey times on the A38.

However, after a number of “near misses” and heavily congested tailbacks, Cllr Brady has accused Highways England of endangering the lives of road users and says it’s only “a matter of time” before someone is seriously injured.

“It’s a complete mess,” he said. “Since the new layout was opened on August 10, I’ve had at least 20 people write to me, contact me and even some knock on my door to vent their anger.

“The markings have left everyone very confused. It’s probably one of the most confusing roads I’ve ever seen.

“I have written to Cornwall Council and made my thoughts quite clear – whoever designed this must have been drunk at the time!”

As the school holidays draw to a close this week, Cllr Brady fears a sudden influx of drivers who have not yet experienced the new layout may result in a series of crashes and traffic delays.

Amanda Rogers, who has lived in Saltash for eight years, travels via the Carkeel roundabout on a daily basis but says she is now “petrified” of the changes.

She said: “The new layout from Waitrose to Lidl is dangerous. Before the new road markings were introduced, to get to Lidl you went in the right lane. But now it’s changed to left lane and it’s like no one has been informed.

“People are still using the right to get to Lidl and that’s why crashes are happening – nearly happened to me, in fact!

“They need three lanes on these junctions, not two. I was – and still am – petrified of driving on the roundabout.”

And while Sergeant Ryan Canning, of Devon and Cornwall Police, remains unconvinced by the new-look system, a spokesperson for Highways England suggested drivers simply need “time to adjust” to the revised layout.

“Carkeel roundabout has undergone a number of significant changes, including the addition of further lanes and increased lane markings around it,” the spokesperson added.

“With any changes to roads, junctions and roundabouts, it can take some time for regular users to adjust to the revised layouts they have become accustomed to and that is why we erect new road layout signs to alert customers to the need to check how they use a particular junction.

“Safety is always our priority and we take very seriously any concerns about safety on our roads.”

https://www.carringtonwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Plymouth-markings.png400600jamesfernandeshttp://www.carringtonwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/carrington-blue.pngjamesfernandes2015-09-08 11:29:022015-09-08 11:29:02‘Dangerous’ new A38 road markings must have been “designed by someone who was drunk”

Yorkshireman Percy Shaw invented cats eyes 80 years ago, taking inspiration from the reflection of his car’s own lights in the eyes of his pet.

They are used on roads and motorways across the country, and are a vital tool for motorists when driving at night, marking the path ahead by reflecting the light shined on them by the headlights of oncoming vehicles.

Graham Muspratt is product manager at Astucia, the solar firm behind the LED lights.

He told The Telegraph: ‘It is much less stressful driving when the road studs are used because drivers can see further ahead.

‘They have also been proven to improve road discipline.’

https://www.carringtonwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Cats-eyes.png400600jamesfernandeshttp://www.carringtonwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/carrington-blue.pngjamesfernandes2015-09-08 11:28:012015-09-08 11:28:01Is this the end of the road for cats eyes?

An initiative to boost Bexhill’s bathing water quality has been launched by Southern Water. The company has joined forces with the Environment Agency (EA) and Rother District Council to tackle problems that can affect bathing water quality, mainly misconnections on the surface water sewer network.

The initiative is in response to tougher European bathing water standards, which are now in force.

Southern Water project manager Brian Rousell said: “Misconnections are where toilets, baths, sinks and kitchen appliances have been connected to the surface water instead of the foul sewers. This causes pollution of streams, beaches and bathing water as the run-off from rainfall flows straight into the sea – unlike the foul sewers which carry wastewater to the town’s treatment works to be processed.”

The company has been carrying out a programme of surveys and follow-up work in nearby Hastings to find these problems, and will now carry out the same exercise in Bexhill by checking hundreds of manholes and properties across the town.

If a misconnection is found, Southern Water will rectify it if the sewer is the company’s responsibility. If not, the council’s environmental health team will contact the homeowner to discuss what happens next.

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Yorkshire Water plans to expand its “fats to fuel” recycling project in Bradford to other parts of the city as it attempts to harness the bio fuel potential of waste cooking oil, and protect local sewers.

The scheme, which was launched in March last year and extended in October, could expand from the 85 homes currently taking part up to 6,000.

Yorkshire Water is providing a grant of £10,000 to help expand the project, which is being led by the Karmand Community Centre based in Bradford Moor.

The initiative sees local residents collect their waste cooking oil in tubs, also known as fat vats, rather than tipping them down the kitchen sink.

These vats are then collected from residents’ doorsteps and the cooking oil is sold to renewable energy companies to refine and turn into biofuel.

As a result of the scheme, there has been an almost total elimination of sewer blockages in the area, caused by fatbergs created from the waste cooking oil.

Yorkshire Water network protection technician Duncan Woodhead said: “Since launching the scheme in 2014, it has already been a great success with 1,000 litres of cooking oil collected and diverted from the sewers.

“A knock on benefit has also been the revenue opportunities created for the Karmand Community Centre to sell the cooking oils to renewable energy companies.”

Karmand Community Centre project manager Mohammed Shakeel added: “We hope to eventually collect as much as 1,000 litres of cooking oil a week from thousands of local houses which is really exciting.

“More than anything else though, it’s great to see local people engaging in the project and understanding the benefits it can bring to the community as a whole.”

Improvements to the A19/A1058 Coast Road in North Tyneside have moved a step closer today (Wednesday 2 September) with the appointment of a contractor for the scheme.

The £40m contract, part of a record £15 billion investment by the Government in road improvements over the next 6 years, will be constructed by John Sisk & Son and Lagan Construction Group as a joint venture. Work will start in 2016.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones said:

“Through schemes like these we are building the Northern Powerhouse and creating opportunities for hardworking people across Britain.

“The appointment of the contractors is a vital part of the delivery of improvements to the A19/A1058 Coast Road in North Tyneside. It will make journeys better for local people ensuring they have easy access to jobs, shops and leisure facilities nearby.”

Highways England assistant project manager Darlene Procter said:

“This scheme will improve journey times on the A19 by reducing congestion and improving safety for the thousands of drivers that use this junction each day. The A19 is a vital strategic link providing access to the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate, Silverlink Retail Park, Cobalt Business Park and South East Northumberland.

“Providing better infrastructure will help the local and national economy, helping to support businesses and creating jobs.”

John Sisk & Son Ltd’s civils UK general manager Wayne Metcalfe said:

“We are delighted to be working with Highways England alongside our joint venture partner, Lagan Construction Group, to safely deliver this vital junction improvement for the North East road network together with the local community and road users.”

Lagan Construction Group operations director John Cunningham said:

“Lagan Construction Group is delighted to have been announced along with Sisk as the successful joint venture contractor for the A19/A1058 Coast Road junction improvement. We look forward to delivering a significant infrastructure project on behalf of Highways England.”

The scheme will also improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists by providing two new shared use bridges over the A1058 slip roads.